Vegetation zonation on a Natal coastal sand- dune system in relation to salt spray and soil salinity.

Abstract

Soil salinities were considerably less than those values usually associated with saline soils, and neither soil salinity nor soil moisture individually correlated with the distribution of vegetation. The patterns of both aerial salt spray and short-term wind-blown sand correlated well with the species distribution. Factor(s) associated with the aerial environment restricted the scrub species to more sheltered positions. Both physical damage (associated with wind-blown sand) and salt spray were implicated in the damage suffered by exposed leaves. -from Authors